Reclosable dispenser



1967 J. R. MARSH 3,333,690

REGLOSABLE DI SPENSER Filed Feb. 25, 1966 2 SheetsSheet l y INVENTOR. F I G. 4

JOHN R. MARSH Aug. 1, 1967 J. R. MARSH RECLOSABLE DISPENSER Filed Feb. 25, 1966 III L 1 (3 I H 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. JOHN R. MARSH United States Patent 3,333,690 RECLOSABLE DISPENSER John R. Marsh, Newark, N.Y., assignor to Mobil Oil Corporation, a corporation of New York Filed Feb. 25, 1966, Ser. No. 530,094 2 Claims. (Cl. 20657) The present invention relates to package structures and more particularly to package structures which may be employed for the packaging of a plurality of bags or bag-like containers.

In the past, there have been numerous techniques employed for the packaging of a plurality of individual bag containers and which, in many cases, have certain disadvantages. In particular, plastic bags for example, due to the fact that they are normally fabricated from very thin, limp material which is especially diflicult to handle require very special packaging attention. Additionally, the package must be designed so that the individual bags may be easily dispensed from the package by the user. One package type, commonly employed for the packaging of such bags, is sometimes referred to as a loose pack. In such a pack the bags are merely folded or packed fiat and then wrapped in an outer covering material such as a paperboard carton or a plastic envelope. An outstanding disadvantage of such a pack is the tendency of bags contained therein to become wrinkled or loose and disorganized after initial use of the pack so that subsequent withdrawal of individual bags by the user becomes quite difficult. Another package type, commonly employed for packaging and dispensing plastic bags is the bag-on-a-roll package. This type of package constitutes an improvement over the loose pack in that the individual bags on the roll are consecutively connected along a perforated line for easy tear-01f and the entire roll of bags is usually contained in a paperboard box. However, there are limitations on the ease and speed of dispensing as well as the fact that the user must employ both hands, one to secure the box and the other to draw out a bag from the box.

The bag packs of the present invention, in addition to overcoming the inherent disadvantages of certain of the prior art bag packaging systems, offer hitherto unavailable advantages relative to the packaging systems described above. In particular, the present bag packs offer complete ease of dispensing individual bags as well as maintaining and securing the individual bags in a readily accessible, neat, superposed order during the dispensing operation and also forming a convenient storage pack for the unused bags.

More particularly, the bag packs of the present invention are useful for packaging thin bags, as for example, thin plastic bags, which are fabricated having a line of perforations extending transversely across the entire top portion of the bag. The bags are then stacked together, one on top of the other, forming a flat stack of bags having perforated top portions in substantially superposed alignment with one another. The number of bags constituting a complete stack may naturally vary depending on the quantity of bags which are desired in a single pack. Subsequently, the stack of bags is packaged in the container pack of the present invention.

The bag containers in accordance with the present invention are characterized by having an easy opening mechanism which comprises a pair of tear strips for simply and effectively opening the container to allow access to the bags contained therein and a tab member for reclosing the container after operation of the tear strip.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the bag pack of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a fragmentary section of the present bag pack illustrating the package locking feature;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the bag pack shown in FIG. 1 but in a partly opened condition to further illustrate the structure of the assembly;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view along line 44 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a face view of a container blank from which the bag container constituting a part of the present invention is made;

FIG. 6 is a variation of the container blank illustrated in FIG. 5 for forming a modified embodiment of the containers within the scope of the present invention;

FIG. 7 is an example of the type of bag construction which may be employed in the container pack of the present invention; and

FIG. 8 is an illustrative example of another type of bag construction which may also be employed in the bag container pack of the present invention.

The package structure illustrated in FIGS. 1 through 5 is formed from a blank of suitable container-forming material having plural longitudinally extending panels defined by creases therein, the several panels being continuous one to another for transverse folding to establish a closed container. The package structure comprises a continuous protective sheet enclosure having a backing sheet 12 and a cover sheet 15 folded thereover. The backing sheet has an extension or lip 11 which is folded over the top front portion of said backing sheet and thereby disposed for locking engagement with the cover sheet. Cover sheet 15, as more clearly illustrated in FIG. 5 is characterized by having a patterned series of perforations adjacent one end thereof which perforations define tear strips 25 and 26. Additionally cover sheet 15 is characterized by having tab defining slits S and S extending in substantially spaced parallel relationship from the edge of cover sheet 15 to tear strips 25 and 26. An integral interconnecting hinge portion 10 in FIG. 1 may be employed to join the backing sheet to the cover sheet. The continuous protective sheet may be made of material such as paperboard or the like, the basic criterion for the selection of a suitable material being that it be sufficiently strong to protect and hold the bags disposed in the package.

The bags themselves are secured in this package struc ture as illustrated in FIG. 3. A superposed stack of bags, perforated transversely near their open end, is placed upon the container backing sheet 12. Next cover sheet 15 is folded along integral hinge portion 10 into overlying covering engagement with the uppermost bag in the stack. Subsequently the backing sheet lip 11 is folded down across the top portion of cover sheet 15 and into overlying engagement therewith. The length of backing sheet lip 11 is such that when folded over the top portion of cover sheet 15 the lower edge of lip 11 extends to a position immediately adjacent to, but not overlapping tear strips 25 and 26 located on cover sheet 15.

After the respective container panels have been folded around the stack of bags as aforedesciibed they are then secured in locked relationship as illustrated in FIG. 1. Staples or other fastening means are employed to secure the upper portion of the bag stack, i.e. that portion between the open bag top and the transverse perforations on the bag to backing sheet section 12 by passing said fastening members through folded backing sheet lip 11, the upper end portions of folded over cover sheet 15 (i.e. those portions of cover sheet 15 which are intermediate transverse tear members 25-26 and the free edge of cover sheet 15), through the upper portions of the bags comprising the bag stack and finally through backing sheet 12.

Thus, the top portions aboye the transverse perforate line of each individual bag are firmly secured to the container and the container is in a securely closed condition, the upper portion of cover sheet having been fastened, e.g. stapled, to the undersurface of backing sheet lip 11 as aforedescribed.

The container in accordance with the present invention may be opened simply by separating the cover sheet 15 from locked engagement with backing sheet lip 11. This may be accomplished by the removal of tear strips and 26, As illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3, such removal of the tear strips leaves projecting tab 18 integrally connected to the leading edge of cover sheet 15 and projecting under backing sheet lip 11. After disengagement of tab 18 from lip 11, cover sheet 15 may be rotated downwardly and the container is now open for ready access to the bags contained therein.

H The fastened end portions of each bag constitutes the connection of. the bag to the continuous protective cover enclosure as well as to the other bags fastened to the protective cover. Such an arrangement allows for the free suspension of the bags in front of the backing sheet, so that each may be removed individually by merely grasping the bottom of. the bag and tearing it ofi across the perforate line which separates the fastened upper end portion of the bag from the .bag proper, 17 in FIG. 8.'The package structure facilitates ease of removal of the individual bags from the container without disturbing the arrangement of the other bags which remain firmly secured to the container and ready for dispensing.

a When the bag dispenser is not in use the package may be closed to afford protection to the remainder of bags in the dispenser by folding cover sheet 15 upwardly around the bottom of the bag stack thereby covering the remaining bags. The cover sheet may be secured in this folded over position by locking engagement with backing 1 sheet lip 11; This may be accomplished by merely inserting tab 18 which is' present on theleading edge of cover sheetlS between the bags and the under-surface of lip 11.

As "illustrated in FIG. 5, lip 11 may be constructed so that it has a centrally located recess 19 along the edge thereof, the configuration of the recess being similar to the shape of tab 18, whereby tab 18 may pass into recess 19 for positioning purposes and then subsequently into engagement with the undersurface of backing sheet lip 11, thereby firmly securing the cover sheet in.a closed position.

FIG. 6 illustrates an additional embodiment of the container structure of the present invention. In this embodiment backing sheet 12 is provided with folding flange members 27 and 27 These flanges provide for protection against contamination of the bags packaged in the present containers. They are integrally joined to the edges of backing sheet 12 'along single or double crease fold lines 28 and 28 After the bags have been positioned in a stack atop backing sheet 12 and before closing the container pack, the flanges are folded up and over the edges of the bag stack whereby the opening along the lateral edge of the bag pack when it is in a closed condition does not expose the edges of the bags themselves, thereby avoiding contamination of the bags.

The centrally located recess 19 in the backing sheet lip described above serves a two foldpurpose. In addition to providing a locking means for the cover sheet, it also assists in the removal of the individual bags from the container. It has been found that when particularly thin gauge plastic bags are arranged in a superposed stack, such as polyethylene or polypropylene for example, it is sometimes diflicult to grasp the bottom of a single bag so that it'may be removed by merely pulling the bottom of the uppermost bag and thereby tearing it across the transverse perforate line described above. There is a definite tendency for the bags to cling and stick together so that fit is diflicult to grasp the bottom of the uppermost bag in the stack without disturbing or having the remainder .of the bags interfere with the rapid removal of a single 7 bag. Moreover, if bags are dispensed or torn off in such a manner, when the user attempts to open the top portion of the bag which has been severed along'the transverse perforate line, there is a tendency of the edges of the bag top to stick or block together thereby necessitating extra handling by the user to gain access to the interior of the bag.

The recess, located along the lower edge of the backing sheet lip when it is in its folded over position, remedies the foregoing dispensing problems by allowing access to the top portion of the uppermost bag in the package. As' illustrated in FIG. 1, the backing sheet lip 11 which is folded over the top portion of the bag stack, covers also the transverse perforate line along which the bags are torn to remove the bag proper from the upper portion of the bag, which upper portion is secured to the container itself by wire staples for example. The centrally located recess exposes a portion 16' of the perforate line thereby enabling the user to draw, using slight finger pressure,

down across exposed portion 16' of the perforate line, I

thereby easily rupturing the perforate line across the exposed side of the uppermost bag and by continued drawing in a single downward motion, severing a single bag from the stack of bags and simultaneously opening the bag itself to allow for immediate access to the bags interior. Thus, in a single continuous movement, the individual bag is easily separated from the remainder of bags in the stack, severed from the. retaining means, and

opened for immediate use.

It will be understood that for large bags, i.e. bags whose length exceeds the desired finished package length,

the bottom portion of the bags may be. folded overto e the extent required by the final package length, and'the cover sheet folded over the folded bag stack and locked into place as described above. Likewise, for large bags, whose width exceeds the desired finished package width, the stack of bags may first be placed flat and then folded lengthwise, e.g. in halves, quarters or thirds, until the width of the folded bag is equivalent to the desired con-i tainer width.

When the individual bags for use with the package of the present invention are fabricatedflthe bags are formed so that their finished length exceeds the length of the bag required for final use. This extra material is separated from the bag proper as the bag is dispensed by tearing across the perforate line, the extra material remaining secured by the staple retaining means to the container itself. The exact length of the extra material, i.e. the distance between the-bag top and the transverse perforate line, may vary depending upon the type of bags that are packaged. However, for purposes of the present invention, it has been found that from about 0.5 inch to about 1.5 inches of extra material is generally suitable,

i.e., the transverse perforate line along which the bag is of the present invention are generally of a design common a to thermoplastic bags. For example, a bag as illustrated in FIG. 8 is essentially a flattened tube of plastic film sealed along the bottom edge 20 and opened along the top portion 21. A transverse line of, perforations 16 extends transversely across the top portion of the bag to facilitate ease of removal of the individual bags from the dispenser pack of the present invention.

FIG. 7 illustrates another type of plastic bag which may 7 be employed with the present dispenser pack. In this instance, the bag again is essentially a flattened tube of plastic closed at the bottom and open at the top. This type of-bag, however, diifersfrom the bag illustrated in FIG. 8 by virtue of the fact that the back wall portion 23 is slightly longer than the front wall 22 therebyforming a lip extension 23' extending beyond theopen bag mouth. This type of plastic bag is' commonly referred to as a side-seal bag. When this type of bag is employed in the dispenser pack of the present invention, a transverse perforate line as illustrated extends across the entire length of said lip portion at its base or adjacent to the open mouth of the bag. When this type of bag is fastened in the present dispenser pack only the upper lip portion of the bag is engaged by the staple fastening means so that when an individual bag is dispensed by tearing across the perforate line, bag lip portion 23' remains fastened to the dispenser pack.

The plastic bags employed in the present invention may also be gussetted along their bottom, or side edges, as illustrated in FIG. 8, dependent upon their end use application.

It may be desired to suspend the package structure of the present invention at a convenient height while bags are being dispensed from the package. This may be accomplished by providing the package with a centrally located aperture 24 extending through the backing sheet lip, the upper portions of the bags above the transverse perforate line and through the backing sheet. This central opening extending through the top of the bag pack, allows for convenient suspension of the pack on any suitable extension or protrusion, such as a nail for example, either When the bags are being dispensed or When the pack is not in use.

In some instances, in order to protect the contents of the bag pack of the present invention from contamination, which may enter through the open side edges of the pack, it has been found desirable to encase the entire package of bags in a thermoplastic tight-fitting, continuous protective enclosure. This may be accomplished by inserting the bag pack into a bag or pouch constructed of a thermoplastic, heat shrinkable, film such as polyethylene, irradiated polyethylene, or polypropylene for example. Next, the top of the pouch containing the bag package is sealed. Finally, the exterior of the thermoplastic encased package is exposed to heat, suflicient enough to cause the pouch to shrink tightly about the package, thereby providing the bag package with a tightfitting, continuous protective enclosure. When the package is ready for use, the thermoplastic protective covering may be easily removed from the bag pack by simply tearing it open.

Although the present invention has been described with preferred embodiments, it is to be understood that modifications and variations may be resorted to, without departing from the spirit and scope of this invention, as those skilled in the art will readily understand. Such variations and modifications are considered to be in the purview and scope of this invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A package comprising a superposed stack of plastic bags having a line of perforations extending transversely across the top portion thereof, a protective cover enclosing said stack of bags, said protective cover comprising a backing sheet upon which the bags are stacked, a backing sheet lip folded over the top portion of said bag stack and fastened thereto above the line of perforations, a cover sheet hinged to the bottom of said backing sheet and extending in overlying relationship over the uppermost bag in said stack and fastened at its upper edge to said backing sheet lip, said cover sheet having a centrally located tab and a pair of tear strips disposed in said cover sheet adjacent said centrally located tab at opposite sides of said tab whereby removal of said tear strips unfastens said cover sheet from said backing sheet lip.

2. A package of bags as defined in claim 1 wherein said bags are thin plastic bags, the backing sheet lip contains a centrally located recess along the leading edge thereof, the cover sheet has a centrally located tab along its leading edge intermediate said tear strips, said tab being adapted for insertion into said recess when said cover sheet is in a folded over position to secure the cover shee in said folded over position. 7

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,101,107 6/1914 Tschopik 206 57 2,783,877 3/1957 Volckening et al. 206-46 3,145,839 8/1964 Lowry 206-57 THERON E. CONDON, Primary Examiner. WILLIAM T. DIXSON, JR., Examiner. 

